The changes proposed by the council include axing buses running on evenings and Sundays.

Crewe councillor Brian Roberts (Lab) told Tuesday’s cabinet meeting: “Most people that will be affected will be the young and the disabled and the not car owners. The cuts are probably just another example of the lack of strategic joined-up thinking.”He said the borough had ‘a massive amount’ of shift workers.

“How are workers to get access into our towns and small centres at the evenings and the weekends? We try to develop these places and yet we’re cutting out the public transport.”Alsager councillor Rod Fletcher (Lib Dem) said the cutbacks would affect people living in Odd Rode and Church Lawton and shopkeepers in Alsager, particularly.

“A lot of them [Odd Rode and Church Lawton residents] are elderly, disabled people they don’t have access to a car.... What you’re proposing is they won’t be able to get into Alsager to shop on a Saturday.”

He added if people couldn’t get to those shops ‘these shops are going to close’.

Cllr Rhoda Bailey (Con), who represents Odd Rode, suggested a bespoke community service. Deputy council leader David Brown said Cheshire East was not the only authority cutting bus subsidies.

“If you look around our neighbouring authorities, CWAC don’t support any bus services, Derbyshire have cut theirs by 75% and Stockport have cut theirs by 62% so it’s not just what’s happening here in Cheshire East,” he said.

But Bollington councillor James Nicholas (Ind) wanted an explanation on how the Cheshire East could pay a temporary council officer more than £1,000 a day yet slash bus services.

“Many of my residents would like to know why it’s acceptable to make these cuts on public transport when there seems to be no problem to find an extortionate £1,025 a day to fund a temporary S151 officer. Perhaps you have your priorities wrong,” he said to council leader Rachel Bailey.

Cllr Bailey replied: “Obviously you are entitled to make the second part of your question but I’m not happy to accept it as part of this agenda item.”She assured councillors that the proposals put forward were not ‘a done deal’ as a few suggested.

Cllr Brown said he would be ‘amazed’ if there were not changes suggested to the proposals.Anyone wanting to take part in the consultation can do so online at www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/busreview and on paper-based surveys at libraries and customer service centres.